Bonded Summoner - Book 5. Chapter 14: Fhesiah and Ophelia - East and West

Fhesiah landed at the South base, speeding up their Conquest of the point. There was a ring of white light on the ground, extending nearly a dozen meters in each direction. Supposedly, attacking anyone that stood within would contest the capture, interrupting it.

Jake’s Garuda rushed off to face the giant wraith, and disrupt the enemy team in taking their point.

The enemy team was hard to monitor through the keep in the center with her Divine Sense, but Ira was able to give a proper view. After just a few seconds of helping take the point for the base, Jake gave his orders.

“Ophelia and Fhesiah, head to your points. It looks like they are rushing to take them with a party each. They are fast, but you two should be able to arrive first if you leave now.”

It looked like with the five of them, it would be nearly thirty seconds to capture a point. She wagered one by themselves would take several minutes.

Swirling her bloodline flames within her body, she filled her legs and leaped from the ground with draconic empowerment, while Ophelia blurred toward her conquest point.

Flapping her wings, Fhesiah was slower than Ophelia, but her speed was quite respectable. There was a well-balanced party approaching the canyon from the opposite side, one that she would need to defeat by herself.

Diving to the point from above, she landed on it and withdrew her torch. She had arrived there first, but an armored warrior and paladin type were fast approaching, some auras enhancing their running speed.

Some kind of rogue type thought he disappeared from her view using some kind of hiding or sneaking magic, but she was able to watch him all the while with her Divine Sense. Behind them was a mage and a healer type, each preparing spells at the edge of the canyon.

Their eyes were black and glowed with malevolence, a sign that they were people being driven by Tartarus itself. She waved her fan, sending flickering flames at the nearest demons.

They did not shy away from her flames, barreling right through them. Still, Fhesiah danced as she built up her orb of draconic flames, and they contested the point as they entered the magical circle.

She could feel the heat of her flames harming them, but they did not find purchase to engulf them and set them on fire. The demons chased after her undaunted, the warrior swinging a large two-handed sword horizontally to cut her in two.

But Fhesiah easily danced out of the way, staying within the base’s circle. She gathered her flames within her Torch of Hestia, and blocked the paladin’s one-handed sword with her dragon claw.

The rogue approached as some magical missiles were shot at her by the mage, but she waved her fan and sent a lick of flames to block and discourage both–the missiles hitting her flames ineffectually, and the rogue taking a more circuitous path to attack.

The mage and cleric type continued their approach in the rear, the warrior now fervently swinging his large blade.

She ducked and dodged as this demon activated an angry red aura, and their evil paladin used some form of debuff that weakened her; her body covered in black scripts.

Her purifying flames and Qi quickly rebuffed the negative energy, causing the blackness-filled eyes to narrow–most likely, they wouldn’t expend significant effort trying to debuff her any further.

Fhesiah knocked the large man away using her powerful tail, nearly sending the man flying with her powerful attack. Instead, it sent him skidding backwards several meters, his cloven hooves digging deeply into the ground.

The paladin blocked her oncoming claw with his shield, but her unyielding grip crumpled the shield, and ripped it away. With a kick, she sent that man flying through the air, knocking him out of the magical circle.

The cleric and mage type began a spell, but she closed her fan with a snap. Charging the flames within the torch further, the two demons continued their spell without fear.

“It seems you demons aren’t properly concerned about my dragon flames. You should be.”

She then breathed. Her flames were brought quickly into her lungs, using [Draconic Fire Plunder]. Channeling the flames into her modified [Draconic Empowerment], the draconic flames infused her body with draconic might, increasing her power.

Fhesiah grew, and her muscles bulked up with the power of dragons.

Not her favorite look, but she was covered in armor. It was fine. The mirror within her spiritual palace lit her hearth aflame, the blackish-purple flames of her bloodline enhanced by Bastet becoming available to her.

Three fox fires flickered into existence behind her, weaving an illusion against her foes. Building up her will, she manifested her Dao of dragon claws into her body. The demonic runes on her armor lit up, filled with mana from her Hearth.

Her fingers splayed wide, she swiped her claw from right to left.

A large manifestation of her dragon’s claw appeared, swiping at the mage and the cleric. The paladin roared, and activated some kind of barrier on the mage and cleric, enveloping them with a black, fiery light.

The mage completed their own spell, sending a malevolent beam of energy in Fhesiah’s direction.

However, Fhesiah’s attack wasn’t just a casual one. She had empowered it with her Dao of dragon claws, the flames within her Hearth, and all the flames she had gathered for a time. Her claw rent the beam and the barrier asunder, her claw cutting into both the cleric and mage.

The mage was torn instantly in half, but some magical scripts appeared, the paladin receiving a cut equal to the cleric himself–an effect like Ophelia had, but likely some spell or ability as opposed to a bond. Thanks to splitting the damage, it appeared they didn’t die instantly.

The warrior was upon her again, but he was no longer menacing with only his puny weapon as she looked down on him. She caught it in her hand, and crushed it in her grip.

Ripping it from his hand, she pulled him toward her, where she pierced his heart with her claw, killing him and dispersing him into motes of light. The lights headed toward their Gatehouse for respawn.

The paladin yelled and swung his serrated sword, but she blocked it with her wing. It dug into her slightly, but was nothing more than a scratch as it skidded off. As she was about to go in for the kill of the paladin as well, the cleric activated a beam of black light of his own.

Smirking, she interposed the crumpled shield from the ground using her Qi, blocking the beam of light. She activated one of her fox fires, generating a minor illusion where she shifted her body and moved toward the paladin.

The fox fire shifted all light in the vicinity, making those that relied heavily on vision see what she wanted them to see. Even magical senses would be somewhat overwhelmed, her magic taking the shape of her desires as well. Only highly intelligent or practiced individuals against illusions, or those relying on smell or hearing, could overcome her illusions in an easy fashion.

But the rogue finally arrived, drawing a blackish dagger filled with malevolence. She guessed this was the blade that was part of the sacrifices of the unicorn-like creatures. Fhesiah changed her target from the paladin, deciding to go for him instead.

However, the rogue went after her illusion, stabbing into empty air. Launching two fox fires at the cleric, her ruinous flames powered by Bastet blasted into him. The curse-filled flames hexed his body, and he screamed in pain trying to remove them with his holy-evil magics.

The evil cleric was not good at handling a taste of his own medicine, burning in agony as he screamed. Fhesiah then threw the warrior corpse into him with so much force, the cleric likely had broken bones.

This knocked him into the ground and interrupting his casting, the corpse being set on fire as well.

She sent her [Hestia’s Torch] after him, blazing and sending a gout of flame his way. Seeing its effectiveness in dealing with the weakened foe, she became a little jealous of Ophelia’s tool. Wouldn’t it be nice, to just sit around and let your little minions defeat your foes for you?

Just as she was about to pounce on the confused rogue, two figures leaped from above the canyon. One looked like some form of a dual wielder, and the other had lightning infused in his blade.

It appeared they sent reinforcements, either giving up on the Center Base, or thinking they could somehow win both.

She knew Jake’s fight had not progressed very far yet. Casting three more fox fires to replace the ones she spent, she retreated closer to the flag as she prepared to meet the two figures; the paladin and rogue trailing behind them.

She had not left the circle at any point in time, so she was nearly one third of the way through capturing it already. Retreating near the cliff wall, the two new demons tried to surround her. But once again, she used the shifting of the fox fire’s ethereal light, the image she desired burning into their mind’s eye.

The two-sword warrior stabbed at where he thought she was, and she sliced into his back with her powerful claws easily. Her empowered strength was immense, and her claws were sharp well beyond even the best of weapons at their Tier.

Like a puppet with its strings cut, the man fell to the ground–his spine severed.

The lightning bladed warrior looked at her with horror, as he raised his blade and brought it down at her. She met it with her draconic might, as her dragon flames had filled her body and arm.

The lightning-filled blade shocked her and sliced into her arm slightly as it was deflected to the side, but she ignored it. Grabbing the man’s head with her other arm, she crushed it in her grip.

She was sure that the warrior had expected to take her arm off, but it was covered with draconic scales and hardened by heavenly energy. His lifeless corpse fell to the ground and dispersed into motes of light, as she shifted herself once more with the light of the kitsune.

The paladin’s body was covered in black light as he swung his serrated blade, and he managed to slice into her wing slightly, rather than the killing blow he was going for. Her tail wrapped around the downed dual wielding warrior’s throat, and shifted his body slightly along with her illusion.

The rogue triggered a powerful lunge where he moved with supernatural speed, his cursed dagger piercing toward the same spot–into the nearly dead dual wielding warrior.

Once again, the rogue had targeted where he thought she was. While her illusions were powerful, it appeared the demons were also not too bright.

Filling herself with the might of dragons once more, she infused the will of her dao, her path into her claw. A manifestation of a dragon appeared behind her, and swung its claw along with her, slicing the paladin and rogue in half and dispersing them into motes of light.

The cleric had run away to the edge of the canyon, his wounds looking terrible. Fhesiah just looked at him with amusement. Why didn’t he just let himself die to be respawned? She waited for herself to capture the point, as an arrow from Tanda pierced his throat.

He wasn’t the only one with allies, after all.

Rather than join them in the center, she would recover her heavenly energy. They would respawn in a few minutes after all, and she would likely have to accomplish this once again, or simply be called by Jake using [Call Summon].

She had expended a little too much mental energy manifesting her will, her Dao, and she wouldn’t be able to do that every fight if she wanted to have anything left once they exited the Greater Rift.

However, she had pushed harder to ensure she captured the point–it was much better to have a strong start. Not wanting to leave the circle’s radius, she had also fought a little more defensively than she would have liked.

Monitoring the other fight with her Divine Sense, she waited. Fhesiah was sure their team was about to crush the other.

***

Ophelia blazed toward the Upper Base with Valora, her speed a significant advantage. Watching the large wraith approach, the Garuda was sent straight for it.

There was a party of enemies approaching her assigned Base, and it appeared to be a well-rounded one. Some kind of bardic warrior enhanced their party’s speed, a powerful warrior with a large weapon running in the front.

A ranger with a wicked looking bow ran parallel to the party, and what looked like a warlock had an imp-like demon flying along with the charge. Finally, some kind of evil cleric carried a malicious tome.

Ignoring the party for a moment as she arrived at the magic circle within the Upper Base, Ophelia sent a small Spear of Hestia from her Hearth at the wraith. Like a bullet from a gun, it struck the creature from half-way across the battlefield.

She wasn’t surprised but impressed when the wraith not only blocked the attack, but appeared to absorb it. This malevolent creature was meant to counter clergy classes, able to drain their power.

Ophelia worried that whatever it was that made the Garuda feel Divine might make it weak to the creature, but Jake, Bloodberri, Bree, and Tanda together would need to handle it. Her enemies were now in front of her.

Her shield had its Hearth inside, and Jake had taken on the state of the Monarch. This caused him to resonate with Blood, and with Ophelia’s bond and special connection: she did as well.

Then, her vajrafire hearth flickered within her, as if to a calm beat. Valora’s excitement in facing these enemies appeared to more closely resemble her before.

Normally, she would be filled with excitement. Ready for battle against these five combatants, there would be great glory to be earned, a thrilling fight to take place. She was a little excited about this battle, but it was muted.

Instead, she found a peaceful, calm strength had filled her. A blackish gold light lit the runes of her weapon and armor, and she was ready to control this battle with her superior power, and strength of arms.

Standing in the center of the point, she waited for her enemies to enter her domain. Valora aided the capture, the progress moving a decent amount.

The warrior and bard contested the base, so she filled [Retribution] with auril. Elongating her blade, she swung her halberd in an overhead chop with Valora dashing forward.

He met her attack with an overhead guard, but the force drove the man’s hooves into the ground. Ophelia was surprised at the man’s strength, able to mostly withstand the attack even with their incredible momentum behind it.

The bard flanked her with his own two-handed axe, but her shield easily deflected it. Ducking under an arrow shot at her, she spun and shifted using her Technique, slicing at the large warrior once more with her back swing.

Only this was more of a feint, as when the large warrior blocked her haft, she hooked his poleaxe with the back of her weapon instead. Wrenching his weapon out of her way, she enhanced her body with her Technique by filling her body and Valora’s with holy might, and she kicked him in the face.

She moved so fast her movements were likely a blur, and she had sent the man flying through the air with a resounding crunch. While the man wore a helmet, it dented from the powerful impact.

Filling her halberd with the flames of Hestia, she then brought her axe head powerfully in a diagonal swing toward the bard. The man tried to block, but her blade was massive when filled with her flames.

It cut deeply into his shoulder, severing his arm. The man screamed in pain, his defense crumbling as he was lit with her divine flames. The large warrior returned covered in a black light, the evil priest infusing him with a black aura.

The ranger was near the edge of the ridge, near the cliff face. He activated a powerful bow skill, and the arrow also filled with a malicious black aura; the two launching a coordinated attack.

Ophelia was going to just interpose her shield in front of the ranger, but the warlock and imp cast a spell on it, cursing it into near unresponsiveness with what appeared to be black chains wrapping around it.

The Guardian Hearth launched out of the shield, the valkyrie warrior creating a barrier there instead. The consumption of the warrior increased, and Ophelia couldn’t help but smile that their strange spell was circumvented so easily.

The black arrow released by the ranger shattered the summoned valkyrie warrior’s barrier, but the trajectory was changed enough for Ophelia’s purposes, Valora easily blurring out of the way.

Activating [Consecration], a massive wave of golden flames filled with lightning was emanated from her body. Filling her body with the vajrafire flames, she triggered [Vajra Strike]. Like a thunder strike, her axe head met the oncoming warrior’s axe with a crash.

Bolts of righteous lightning were released in a cone in front of her, piercing through the warrior, bard, and into the evil cleric–which had already been bathed in righteous flames and lightning already from her improved Consecration ability.

Filling herself with auril, she ducked under the deflected arrow easily, and swung powerfully into the bardic warrior.

He was easily cleaved in half, but the larger warrior glowed green, despite his wounds. His attack was nearly instant, and Ophelia thought she wouldn’t make it. But she manifested her will, forming a deathly shield with her auril.

She had practiced [Advanced Energy Manipulation], and this allowed her to manifest her will. As one might expect, her manifestation was a deathly shield.

The deathly shield shattered at his terrible blow, but the blade only skidded off her powerfully crafted armor; her runes glimmering in a brilliant dark golden light. She filled her halberd’s blade with the fires of Hestia once more, and her counter swing was as vicious as the warrior’s attack, enhanced by Valora’s movements.

Only hers carved deep into his chest, shearing right through his arm and lighting him aflame. Wrenching her blade free of his dying body as he disappeared into motes of light, Valora dodged a bolt of shadow from the warlock and another arrow from the ranger.

The imp tried covering Valora with fiery looking chains, but they were far too slow to contain her, her running a circle around the flag.

From across the battlefield, an arrow from Tanda’s bow arrived, slamming into the warlock’s throat and taking off his head with the bite of a fiery wolf. The imp and the warlock disappeared into motes of light.

The ranger tried to return fire at Tanda, but Ophelia’s Guardian Hearth returned to her shield, and blitzed into him. Her Guardian Hearth of Hestia then shocked him with powerful blasts of righteous, flaming lightning spears, shooting him off the cliff.

She expected he might survive the fall with the use of his strange cloak, but Tanda launched a volley of several arrows at him in midair.

The entire time, Ophelia had not left the base’s circle. Only the evil cleric was left alive, and he was already on his last legs from her enhanced [Consecration], and her [Vajra Strike].

Gathering her mana and merging the runes through [Retribution]’s Function, her runes coalesced in the air as she cast a powerful lightning bolt at him.

The evil cleric sneered, casting a black barrier on himself. The pages on his book flipped and glowed with an eerie dark light as he cast more spells, him speaking some language she could not understand.

A bolt of black lightning was reflected at her, a sort of mirror of her attack sent against him. She was about to block the attack, but Valora whinnied and intercepted it. The attack was ineffectual, the creature nearly-immune to lightning.

The evil cleric continued his casting, but he seemed to have forgotten her Guardian Hearth shield. It rammed into him from behind, sending him flying near Ophelia’s feet.

She swung her halberd down powerfully, splitting the man in two; sending his body into motes of light to be respawned.

Overlooking the battle from her vantage point, she took a deep breath as she recuperated, Valora performing a dancing shuffle of her feet in pride.

The East and West bases were captured at nearly the same time, and the Center Base was still contested.

Ophelia felt a peaceful calm wash over her, from having conquered her enemies. Whatever difficulties might come, she and Valora would be ready.